Vibratory game timer



April 12, 1966 c. L. PAYNE, JR 3,245,216

VIBRATORY GAME TIMER Filed March 19, 1964 INVENTOR 6A4 WM 4. PA YA/E J/Q.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice 3,245,216 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 3,245,216 VIBRATQRY GAME TIMER Calvin Lee Payne, .lr., Yonkers, N.Y., assignor to Tudor Metal Products Corporation, Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 19, 1964, Ser. No. 353,145 3 Claims. (Cl. 5t145) This invention relates to games and the like, and, in particular, to timing devices for indicating intervals of play in games.

The provision of automatic timers in games adapted for play by children is rare because their cost in relation to the game itself is quite prohibitive. It would therefore, seem a desideratum to provide a timer that is both cheap to produce and simple to use. To that end, this invention contemplates a game timer which is designed for use on game boards in which the playing pieces are mechanically moved. In this case the pieces are actuated by the board made of sheet metal or other material on which the pieces are supported, the board being made to vibrate by means of a solenoid or the like. The pieces and the timer wheels are moved in accordance with the frequency of the vibrations. The problem is in the control of the speed of the timer wheels. It has been found that such control can be incorporated in the timer by specially forming and orienting the flexible elements extending between the actuating wheel and the vibrating board and which serve to transmit the propelling force from one member to the other. These control features of the timer are more fully described hereinbelow, the description being taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view of the game board including the timer and its actuating solenoid;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged plan bottom view showing the actuating wheel of the game timer.

Referring to the drawings, the game timer is mounted on a board 6 having a sheet metal surface 7 on which there is set out a simulated football field 8 with the usual goal posts 10 and measuring sticks 12. According to the game, the players on the field are in the form of pieces (not shown) simulating linesmen, backfield men, ball carriers, etc. The pieces are lined up against one another as opposing teams and put into play, that is, caused to move by virtue of the contact between their base supporting elements and the vibrating surface 7.

The surface 7 is vibrated by means of a solenoid 14 which is energized by an AC. source and physically connected to the surface 7 for that purpose. This expedient is conventional and there are known to be equivalent means of causing surface vibration in the art.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the game timer comprises an actuating wheel 16 and an intermittently driven minute wheel 18. The wheel 16 is mounted for rotation on shaft 20 extending through the surface 7 of the board. Seconds in second intervals are indicated on the surface 7 about the periphery of the wheel 16. Disposed oif center of the wheel is drive pin 24 which engages peripheral teeth formed in the wheel 18 which is provided with minute markings to indicate the usual fifteen minute periods of play. The markings are superposed on the visible surface of the minute wheel 18, there being an arrow appropriately disposed on the surface 7 to indicate the start of each period. The minute wheel is provided with an axial shaft 26 extending from hub 28 through felt washer 30 which serves to introduce sufficient friction between the wheel 18 and the board that its actuation is dependent solely on the driving wheel 16.

Disposed on the underside of the driving wheel 16 are a number of flexible reeds 32 which are oriented, as shown in FIGURE 3, in such a manner that their axes projected on the undersurface of said wheels have a radial component. By this expedient it is assured that at least a portion of the upward thrust of the board against the reeds is directed radially rather than all of it perpendicularly to the wheel radius which would be the most effective direction for driving the wheel. Thus, the wheel 16 is slowed as a consequence of the fact that the full upward thrust of the board is prevented from having wheel actuating or turning effect since some of the thrust is ineffectually exerted outwardly from or inwardly toward the center of the wheel. A measure of control permitting the other game elements to move about in their customary manner is thus incorporated in the game timer.

The reeds are protected during transit and play by arcuately disposed walls 22 depending from the underside of the wheel 16. It is important that the reeds be protected against damage or change of their preset position which would alter the speed of the timer during play.

Various modifications of the invention may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims, in which:

What is claimed is:

1. A game timer comprising a vibratable surface, means for causing said surface to vibrate, a pair of intermittently engageable timer wheels rotatably mounted in said surface, an element depending from one of said Wheels and engaging said surface, the said one of the wheels having a drive pin adapted to effect said intermittent engagement with the other of the timer wheels, element being oriented so that its projection on the wheel has a radial component and a component disposed degrees relative to said radial component.

2. In a game in which playing pieces are actuated in response to mechanical vibrations imparted by a surface supporting said pieces, a timer wheel rotatably supported on said surface, a reed connecting said surface and the underside of said wheel, said reed being so oriented as to impart a radial component of force on said wheel and reed protective means depending from the underside of said timer wheel.

3. In a game as defined in claim 2 in which a second wheel is in driven relation to said timer wheel, said second wheel being rotatably supported on said board and friction means being disposed between said board and said second wheel whereby the turning of said second wheel is independent directly of said vibratable surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 701,410 6/1902 Smith 46-47 1,750,078 3/1930 Willheim 58145 1,836,748 12/1931 Carley 74144 2,063,687 12/1936 Lefrand 40139 2,759,113 8/1956 Bonanno 31020 2,790,096 4/ 1957 Abrahamson 31020 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,136,971 5/ 1957 France.

443,250 2/ 1936 Great Britain,

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A GAME TIMER COMPRISING A VIBRATABLE SURFACE, MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID SURFACE TO VIBRATE, A PAIR OF INTERMITTENTLY ENGAGEABLE TIMER WHEELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SURFACE, AN ELEMENT DEPENDING FROM ONE OF SAID WHEELS AND ENGAGING SAID SURFACE, THE SAID ONE OF THE WHEELS HAVING A DRIVE PIN ADAPTED TO EFFECT SAID INTERMITTENT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF THE TIMER WHEELS, ELEMENT BEING ORIENTED SO THAT ITS PROJECTION ON THE WHEEL HAS A RADIAL COMPONENT AND A COMPONENT DISPOSED 90 DEGREES RELATIVE TO SAID RADIAL COMPONENT. 